The ministry said it had "learned of the probable tragic end" to the disappearance of 28-year-old Giulio Regeni, who went missing in the Egyptian capital on January 25.
An Italian student who disappeared in Cairo last month is probably dead, Rome's foreign ministry said on Wednesday, based on information from unofficial sources in Egypt.
The ministry said it had "learned of the probable tragic end" to the disappearance of 28-year-old Giulio Regeni, who went missing in the Egyptian capital on January 25.
"While awaiting official confirmation from the Egyptian authorities, Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni has offered his and the government's condolences to the family," a statement said.
Regeni was from Fiumicello, near Udine in Italy's northeast, according to Italian media reports, which said he was in Egypt to study. His family flew out to Cairo on Wednesday.
The ministry said Rome was asking Egypt for the "maximum commitment" to shed light on what happed to Regeni, and for a joint inquiry to be opened with Italian experts involved.
January 25 was the fifth anniversary of protests that ended former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule and Italian media reports said there was a tough security crackdown in the run-up, amid fears among the authorities of fresh mass demonstrations.